My Mind is a Safe
by antidoesfanfiction
Summary: Her name's Samantha-Addison Burke, and she's fresh in Canada from Seattle, Washington. She's an extremely smart, yet rebellious 16 year-old who doesn't plan on making a name for herself here in Degrassi. But of course nothing ever goes according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Beep!! Beep!! Beep!!! Beeeeeep!!! Beep—BAM!!!! _

That's the sound of a 16-year-old's alarm clock; and then her eventually her teaching it its lesson by hurling it at her wall. This 16-year-old girl would be known as Samantha-Addison, but most people called her "Bitch". It'd been that way ever since she started kindergarten when she'd bitten open a 7-year-old's nose for pushing her off a kiddy swing. Rather it was "Psycho-Bitch", "Little Bitch", or sometimes even "Rude Bitch", Samantha-Addison knew she'd have to lay back and accept it after awhile. Besides, what could she do about it? She knew she was right whenever it came down to it, but hey, who really gave a fuck?

"Crap." Samantha-Addison murmurs, sitting up in her bed and squinting through the darkness that was her room, _"Time to wake up the twins." _6:30 was 6:30. The twins were Sam's 11-year-old half brother and sister. Any other year, this wouldn't be her job; but ever since her mom dumped her, she'd have to do it. Sam didn't really know what to think about what her mom was doing, but she couldn't be mad at her. She'd been through Hell, her mother.

First it was her own parents, then Sam's dad, and now her daughter (Sam's full-blood sister) Eileen. When Samantha-Addison really thought about it, her mother was never truly happy unless she was with Jesse, the twins' father. Sure she loved her kids, but Jesse was just the icing on the cake for her. She needed him more than anything right now. And besides, he only lived about an hour away from where Sam watched the Twins. And as far as most knew, the Twins seemed okay with whatever right now. They didn't know Eileen so well anyway.

"Okay." Sam yawns, crawling out of her bed, "Let's do this." Sauntering out of her room in an over-sized band t-shirt, she makes way for her brother Heath's room first. She could hear his music blasting before she even opened the door. It was some Fall Out Boy song playing.

"_Oh man." _Sam whines inside her head as she opens his door and cuts on a light, "Heath, get up!!"

After a couple more yells, Heath finally begins to move around and sit up in his bed. "Oh, hey Sam." He murmurs, trying to adjust to the light.

"Yeah, hey kid. See you downstairs." Sam nods, walking away from his door and going next door to Hazel's room. Sam can once again already tell what she's listening to—a Lady Gaga song.

"Hey, Hazel, get up, will ya?" the headache-pronged teenager moans after kicking open her sister's door. "Alright, alright, I'm up!" Hazel sits up with the quickness, waving Samantha-Addison away.

Now she was on her way to Eileen's room— not that she was suppose to go in there.

"_**Maybe she'll come home." **__Sam's mom Sarah, and Jesse, had told her. __**"What makes you so sure?"**__ Samantha-Addison had spat back. They never got back to her about that remark._

"Dammit." Samantha shudders, thinking back to the conversation for a brief couple of seconds. Quickly wiping the memory away, she goes straight for Eileen's closet and swipes her sister's forgotten pair of Converses. "As if she even liked these fucking shoes…" Samantha-Addison mumbles as she leaves her sister's room and treads back to her own. After closing her bedroom door, Samantha-Addison leans back against it and sinks to the floor. "And now for the worse part of any day."

She hated getting dressed—for anything. She always did. But, she had to go to school. She'd already missed as much as she could with moving from Seattle and all. But that wasn't very much, seeing as she moved over Winter vacation. Now it was the middle of fucking January and her mom (and the social worker who probably had a hand in this) really wanted her in school as soon as possible. So only to avoid hurting or pissing her mom off, damn it Samantha-Addison Burke was gonna take her ass to school; even if it did feel like the death of her.

Not that she had a hard time in school or anything. Sam usually had a decent handful of kids she called friends. Lately she just hadn't felt like doing anything but drugs or punching herself; never much of a cutter, this one. She'd tried it a few times and thought it wasn't so bad, but only on occasion of something dreadful where she absolutely needed the pain would you catch her dragging a knife or one of her mom's razors through her skin.

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After finally forcing herself into a plain purple shirt, black cargo pants, and the Converses, Samantha-Addison made way for the personal bathroom inside of her room. Glancing into the bathroom at herself, she realized she looked like Hell—not that she didn't on any other day of the week. But today was a little more than usual; besides the fact that her hair's all over the fucking place, her eyes are bleary and red as shit. She hadn't brushed her teeth and hadn't felt like doing so either. So she wouldn't. "This is why floss was invented, right?" she joked to herself.

After flossing, Samantha-Addison reached onto a hair accessory rack that was built into the bathroom and grabbed off a black rubber band. Once she's done combing in a minor bang for the front of her face, she ties the rest of her black and brown hair into a bun.

She sighs depressively, still looking at her pitiful self in the mirror--Not that she had wanted to look like Bar Refaeli or anything. She wasn't into the sex appeal for guys. Not that she was a lesbian. It's that she didn't trust guys. Not after the one sleazebag that she actually thought was worth something. That's what set her off.

Leaving her bathroom and sliding on her book bag, Samantha-Addison scoops up her black coat and heads downstairs. The Twins are already eating when she lingers into the kitchen. "Whoa, you look like Hell." Hazel sighs, glancing up at her for a moment.

This slightly pisses Sam off. "Watch it kid." She replies, "You don't look too _sharp_ yourself." This causes Heath to shoot his little sister a mean smile and she rolls her eyes.

"I didn't mean your clothes—Not that I'm a fan of that either. I meant your face." Hazel explains quickly.

"Oh…yeah, whatever. What time do you guys have to be at school again?" Sam nods.

"I don't know." Heath shrugs.

"A quarter to 9." Hazel groans slightly. Both Heath and Samantha-Addison shoot her a dirty look.

"Ugh…Can I drop you off early?" Sam asks, heading over to a cabinet and opening it. She pulls out a box of chocolate granola bars and a plastic cup. This makes Hazel even more upset apparently. _"What's your problem?" _Sam is almost about to ask out loud.

"No need to. The bus comes at 8." Hazel answers once more.

"Well, you know what? Geez, so I forgot some stuff. Cut me a break you little eye-sore." Samantha-Addison snaps. She doesn't yell, but it sure leaves Hazel speechless and returning to her bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

"Heh heh, eye sore…" Heath snickers. Sam glances at him for a second and secretly smiles. Heath was always the less bossy and attention-hungry twin. Maybe it was because he was 20 minutes older than Hazel. But really, what was Hazel's deal lately anyway?

Turning away from him, Samantha-Addison pours herself a cup of orange juice and grabs a bar out of the granola box. After downing the juice, she turns back to face the Twins once again. "Good…I uh, I gotta go." She begins, "Don't do anything serious."

"It's only 7:30!" Heath exclaims suddenly, causing his older sister to glance at him once again.

"Dude, I don't wanna leave you alone with Hazel as much as _I _wanna be left alone with Hazel. Gotta go kid." Sam explains, throwing her plastic cup in the trash and sliding off her book bag.

"Hey—what's that suppose to mean?" Hazel whines.

"It means: you're a prude." Samantha-Addison responds as she puts on her coat.

"A prude? And what does _that _mean?" Hazel questions angrily, yet confused.

"It means that you should layoff sometimes." Sam shakes her head, putting back on her book bag now.

"Ugh, whatever." Hazel sneers, "I _do _layoff. You should just remember stuff better—I'm freakin' 11!" This time Hazel stops Samantha-Addison dead in her tracks.

Thinking about what her sister's just said to her, Samantha-Addison realizes what she means—that she's a Hell of a lot older than most 16-year-olds are supposed to be. "Hmm, you know what? You're right Hazel. I'll be sure to remember…Later." Sam says as she grabs her car keys out of her coat pocket and heads for the front door.

"Later!" Heath calls to her; Hazel doesn't say a word.

She's been left confused like Hell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Well, here goes nothin'." Samantha-Addison groans as she pulls into Degrassi High's parking lot, "Degrassi & Lakehurst huh?"

Cutting off the car,, Sam reluctantly gets out and heads for the front of the school. She stops for a brief moment and watches as other kids file into the school.

"_They all look like fucking drones…Well this must be high school then." _she thinks sarcastically, _"Well, guess I'd better do this before a good idea comes across." _

It's 7:56.

Sam was supposed to show up a little earlier so she could meet her teachers before class and "the Shep", whose suppose to be the principal of the Degrassi-Lakehurst campus.

As if she was going to do that!

But, she'd have to go to the office anyway—schedules tend to help new students.

So, even though God knows she doesn't want to do this either, Samantha-Addison hurries up to the office before school starts and all the norms look at her like the Wicked Witch of the West when she comes into class late.

Oh boy, that would be fun.

"Um, I'm new here. I'm supposed to see principal and get my schedule." Samantha-Addison says softly to the school secretary.

"And what is your name, ma'am?" a snooty woman from behind a desk glances up at her.

"S-Samantha-Addison Burke." Sam responds, almost intimidated. Almost intimidated by her own self.

Well, her name really.

She hated having to say her whole name, especially at school! It was mostly the adults. The other kids mostly just called her "Bitch" like they should.

"Ah…Samantha, Shep told me to be expecting you—He has someone in his office right now and they both want to see you. That's where all your paperwork is." The snooty woman responds, pointing one of her extremely long nails to her left, where a door stands.

Cutting beside the secretary and walking around her, Sam winces at the sound of another person just calling her "Samantha". Last she checked that was never her name.

"Uh, thanks." She says before entering Mr. Shepherd's office.

"Um, Mr. Shepherd? The secretary said you were expecting me. Sorry I'm late." Samantha-Addison pretends to sound well-together.

A man with graying hair looks up at her quickly, the lighting from his blinds reflecting off of his glasses. This scares her a little bit. In a seat across from him is another man, who looks about 20 years younger than the other, with a sort of babyish face and pale blonde hair stuck to his flat head.

"_Which one's Shepherd?" _Sam thinks immediately.

"Ah, and I'm guessing that you're Samantha Burke?" Shep prompts her.

"Um, yeah." She nods, looking at the blonde-haired man, both men looking at her, _"Hm. So that's him."_

"Samantha, do you mind taking a seat? This won't be long and then you may go to class." The second man says, tapping the arm of the chair next to his.

"Uh, okay." Sam shrugs, sitting beside the older of the two men.

"Samantha Burke--"

"Uh, it's actually Samantha-Addison." She interrupts quietly, hoping he didn't hear her.

"…Samantha-Addison, this is Mr. Albright. He's from a department that specializes in gifted children." The Shep introduces.

"Okay." Sam shrugs.

She doesn't really care where 'Mr. Albright' works.

"Ms. Burke, are you aware that you have an IQ level of higher than 200?" Mr. Albright looks at her eagerly.

"Not until today… But okay." She nods her head.

"Samantha… Samantha-Addison, do you know what that means exactly?" Shep questions, furrowing his brow in anticipation.

"Uh, somethin' about bein' smart I guess--I get it. That's what adults want, isn't it" Sam yawns, rubbing her forehead. Her headache is beginning to get worse.

"Ms. Burke, that kind of IQ is unusually high for a person your age. Why, it's near impeccable. Most adult IQs aren't as high as yours!" Mr. Albright's eyes widen.

"Oh, okay." The girl nods. This obviously annoys both men, who turn to each other for a few moments and then back to Sam, who begins biting on her nails.

"Samantha-Addison, we know about some of the things you've been through. If you need some time off, that's fine." Shep says calmly.

"No, I'm fine." She shakes her head at him.

"Well, then…I'd like to make you an offer ma'am." Mr. Albright replies. This makes her eyes flick over to him quickly; she looks rather defensive.

"Um, well, Mr. Shepherd—I mean the Shep and I, would like to place you in an accelerated program whereas we place you ahead of your peers and you take college courses over at Toronto University." Mr. Albright explains, obviously stricken by Samantha-Addison's cautious golden/green eyes.

"Wait, you mean like skip the rest of 11th grade or something?" she asks.

"Yes, that's exactly what we mean Ms. Burke. How does that sound to you exactly?" Mr. Shepherd questions, arrogantly. _"Geez, what's this guy's deal?" _Samantha-Addison thinks, "Um, I don't think that's for me."

This causes the room to hush with silence. Mr. Shepherd is completely flabbergasted, while Mr. Albright can't seem to wrap his head around what she's just said.

"_Hahaha, creepy old guys. Why the Hell would I wanna move __**up**__ a grade? If anything, I'd wanna go back and re-learn everything from the __**3rd grade!**__" _she continues to think, a satisfied look spreading across her face.

After about 3 full minutes of silence (minus Samantha-Addison drumming her fingers on Shepherd's desk), Mr. Albright finally gathers what words to say. "…Um, Ms. Burke, can't you wait outside for a moment? We'll call you back in when we're ready." He sighs but doesn't want it to be noticed.

"Sure." She rolls her eyes and makes her way out of Shepherd's chambers. With an unhappy feeling developing in her stomach, Sam takes a seat on the bench of the main office. _"Oh man, they're gonna call Mom and she's gonna hate me." _

After about 10 minutes, Samantha-Addison is lost somewhere in her thoughts when an irritated balding man bursts into the office with someone in his grip. He's got them hooked by the back of their shirt.

"The usual Connie." He says, releasing the kid and leaving the office just as quick as he came.

Looking up from her computer screen, the snooty secretary lady now known as 'Connie' gives the delinquent a nostalgic look and returns to whatever she was doing. The kid scoffs and leans back against the wall, whistling.

"Cop a squat like always Johnny. Today's no different." She glances up at him once more.

This makes him flash his middle finger, smirking and declaring "Fuck you!"

"Hurry it up Shepherd! Your daily screw-up is here for his date!" Connie yells at Shep's door.

The boy known as Johnny smirks and lunges down beside Samantha-Addison. Wanting more attention, he can't help but look over at the deflated Samantha-Addison.

"Watcha hear for, cramps?" he leans in on her.

"Fuck you!" she spats back, "I wish I was, for some shit like that."

This strikes his cord. It made Johnny wonder, what _**is**_ a girl doing in the Shep's office? Wanting to know more, he decides he wants to keep at his little game of 20 questions.

"Ha, so what'd ya do?" he asks.

Already annoyed, it's Sam's turn to scoff, "Be born. In for fighting, aren't you?" She was guessing but it was a little more than obvious. What else would someone get in trouble for so many said times?

"Yeah, maybe so. What's it to ya?" Johnny raises his eyebrows at her.

"You smell like trouble." Sam responds back, taking a deep breath. After doing so, she finally looks over at Johnny to get a good look at him. She even thought he looked like trouble. With trouble-ridden brown eyes and long brown hair to match, this guy really did sound like your typical high school hell-raiser. Boy did Samantha-Addison have not a fucking clue.

"Huh, so I 'smell like trouble', do I? So who are you, like Houdini's grandson or some shit?" Johnny's eyes flash with intensity, teasingly.

"Fuck you, deadbeat." Sam retorts.

Before Johnny can get another word in, the Shep and Albright ease out of his office and out of Connie the Secretary's booth.

"Oh, fuck me." Sam seethes under her breath, shooting the men disgusted looks, she tightens her fists.

Johnny looks at them and then back to Sam. He doesn't understand why she's the one who's all fired up at those two.

"Ah, Mr. DiMarco. And I suppose that you have a brilliant reason for being in here this early-on in the day?" Shep shoots him a tired look.

"Don't I always?" Johnny smirks graciously.

"Boy am I glad you're both here Shep! Those two sound like a real Bonnie and Clyde." Connie interrupts.

"Hey, you look like you _swallowed _Bonnie and Clyde!" Johnny outbursts.

"_Whoa, what's with this guy?" _Samantha-Addison can't help but think, giving him a flustered look, _"I wanna say bipolar, but that would be an understatement…ADD?" _

"Watch it kid before I lose my patience." Shep interferes, "Now, Samantha-Addison, Mr. Albright and I have decided that you _don't _have to take the college courses just yet, if you don't want to. But we both highly recommend that you join an extra-curricular activity, such as maybe mock trial, or the mathletes?" Shep's look has switched from annoyance to anxious.

What did he care whether or not Sam was in some dumb after-school activity anyway?

"…Mathletes…Just what this place needs: another fucking know-it-all." Johnny sneers.

As if on cue, Mr. Albright shoots Johnny a none-too-pleased look—almost as if he were use to these kinds of snide remarks; Or, rather just Johnny's remarks.

Johnny catches the look quickly but doesn't change his tune: "What? Normal kids not good enough for you people?"

"Now-now Mr. DiMarco, you know we're not like that. Go on and tell Samantha-Addison about my job—since you're one to talk." A plain-faced Albright snaps back.

That statement really grinded Johnny's gears. Nobody was even supposed to know about him even being in the same room as guys like Tony Albright! Glaring up at expectant Mr. Albright, Johnny's face turns into disgust. No fucking way was he saying anything about anything!

"Dude, I haven't a clue what _you're _talkin' about, but you've got the wrong kid." Johnny says in a shockingly steady voice. Sam sits back laughing silently; Shep and Albright are pissed—at the both of them.

Now they had two kids lurking the school without a clue how much money Degrassi-Lakehurst could be profiting! Both men's, pasty faces flush with anger and confusion. There had to be only one option left: bribery.

"…Johnny, Samantha, I'd like for both of you to step into my office for a quick discussion and then you both can be off to class." The principal sighs, turning away from both kids.

"That's not my name!" Sam yells furiously.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Ms. Burke," the Shep says unconvincingly.

"And I'd like to be anywhere but this dump, but you don't hear _me _complaining." Johnny snipes even though he pulls himself off the bench.

"That's quite enough out of you sir. Ms. Burke, please, follow along." Mr. Albright urges, following behind the Shep.

Rolling her eyes, Samantha-Addison reluctantly follows behind both men and Johnny DiMarco into Shepherd's office. _"How the hell can all of us squeeze in here anyway?" _she thinks as they all file in the room.

After Mr. Shepherd takes his special office seat with Albright across from him, Johnny takes the chair beside Albright and pulls it across the room near the door and sits into it backwards.

This leaves Samantha-Addison to simply stand by DiMarco's chair, leaning against the wall. Mr. Albright's glasses reflect off the lighting in the room once again as he glances across his room at Johnny. He's still none too pleased with him. _"Great…What's his fucking problem now?" _Johnny wonders, pulling his hat down over his eyes, _"Don't have time for this shit." _

"Er…Johnny, wouldn't you think it more appropriate for you to offer Ms. Burke a seat?" Mr. Shepherd asks.

Staring over at Sam, then over at the Shep, Johnny shakes his head in dis-agreeance, "Then _**you **_get up!"

That really does it for Shep. Slamming a hand down on his desk and his face turning bright red, he points a finger straight at DiMarco, "That's _**it—"**_

At that very second, Mr. Albright sheepishly climbs out of his seat nervously, "Would you like a seat?"

She glances over at him, shaking her head, "No thanks."

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After at least 20 minutes of negotiating with both teenagers, the Shep and Mr. Albright think they've finally reached a conclusion:

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; slow down man." Johnny smirks, "So you're sayin' that if I stay after school for this crap, that I don't get _anymore _detentions, and suspensions?"

This makes the Shep glance from Sam to Johnny, to Mr. Albright, back to Johnny again. "Well, technically you get to pick only _one _of the options. But I'll have you know Mr. DiMarco, that if you pick detention immunity, that with your behavioral problems, be prepared for _many _suspensions." Shep explains uneasily, "…_But, _if you pick suspensions, if I feel that you're detention-worthy, you are to serve that detention and then proceed to your after-school classes."

"This blows!" DiMarco mutters, exhaling deeply. The Shep ignores this and turns his gaze towards Samantha-Addison.

"This goes for me too huh?" she sighs.

"If it has to come to this, then yes Ms. Burke. I'm only doing what I think is best for the both of you." Shep nods in satisfaction. He's so sure that she's going to just crack and agree to take all the damn classes now!

"Fine, get rid of detention and we've gotta deal." Sam's eyes beam with confidence.

"…Um, are you sure??" both men exclaim, their jaws dropping.

Feeling left out, Johnny knows he's got to add his smart-ass comments in as well, "Hey, can I get that too?" He sneers, obviously proud of himself.

Both men turn to DiMarco now & groan, shooting him just as exasperated looks. This makes Samantha-Addison smile to herself on the inside, _"Dumb old guys don't know what hit 'em."_


End file.
